From the New Hamburg Independent
New Hamburg Independent
By Dylan DaCosta
Thousands of spectators turned out in Tavistock over the last week as softball teams from across the country competed in the U21 Men’s Canadian Fastpitch Championships from Aug. 2-7.
Thirteen Canadian teams from coast to coast competed for the title; among them were three local teams, New Hamburg, Tavistock and Stratford. After six days of competition, Quebec’s Express St. Leonard d’Aston came out on top to claim the trophy.
Host team Tavistock got off to a good start, winning their opening game 9-2 against British Columbia’s Lenny’s Selects on Aug. 2. They lost their next game 8-6 to the Nova Scotia Selects, but bounced back with a 10-2 victory over the ReMax Ravens, from PEI, and an 11-4 win over the Stratford Cubs.
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Tournament organizers told the Independent they had expected at least 5,000 people to turn up. They were pleased to hit almost double that, as around 9,000 people filled the stands last week and good performances by the local teams boosted support.
“We were so happy to achieve those numbers and it says a lot about the support of the community,” said tournament chair Kyle Smith. “The weather was great and everything ran smoothly, without any hiccups or issues.”
Profits from the tournament (which at time of press were still unknown) will go to Tavistock Minor Ball in the form of a legacy fund that can help make improvements to coaching, equipment, or repairs of playing fields. Those funds, coupled with the experience of attending a tournament, can help Tavistock grow softball within the community.
“This is only going to help minor ball grow to a bigger level in Tavistock,” said Smith. “I think this will reinvigorate the game and get even more kids involved in minor ball here.”
The tournament was the first time Tavistock had hosted a softball event of this magnitude, and the exposure and experience for the city could open the door to more events in the future.
“I think this tournament has helped to put Tavistock on the map,” said Smith. “Softball Canada has already mentioned that they were impressed and that they’d love to come back here one day.”